Metabolism - the sum of all the chemical activities of the cells that provide for an organism's growth, maintenance and repair

Movement - Some organisms have obvious movement from muscular contraction (e.g. swim, fly, run). Some move by beating of cilia or flagella, or oozing like an amoeba. Others like corals and oysters do not move from place to place.

Irritability - response to a stimulus (e.g. light or chemicals such as food)

Growth - increase in cellular mass, and/or increase in number of cells

Reproduction - formation of another organism. Since viruses cannot reproduce on their own without being inside a host cell, they are not regarded as living organisms.

Adaptation - ability to adapt to an environment, by either seeking a more suitable environment, or by undergoing modifications to be better fitted to its present surroundings

TAXONOMY TERMS

Taxonomy - the hierarchical system of naming, describing and classifying organisms using structural characteristics

Structural Characteristics - the features of an organism relating to structure (e.g. radial or bilateral symmetry, asexual or sexual reproduction, number of appendages, backbone, shape of leaf)

Characteristics that are not used in classification - As organisms to be identified are often dead, preserved in alcohol, and not usually in their normal habitat, certain characteristics are not useful in identification (e.g. body temperature, habitat, movement, colour).

Reasons for Classification

To provide a scientific name that is accepted and communicated by scientists from different countries